Ultrasonic apparatus



April 18, 1961 J. H. LEMELSON 2,930,123

ULTRASONIC APPARATUS Filed Nov. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. J erome H.Lemelson United State tent ULTRASONIC APPARATUS Jerome H; Lemelson, 289'High St., Perth Amboy, NJ.

Filed Nov. 14, 1955, Ser. No. 546,602.

Claims. (Cl. 134 -184) This invention relates to ultrasonic apparatus and, in particular, to an improved ultrasonic cleaning device.

Energy transfer in the. form of ultrasonic vibrations generatedina liquid has been used for cleaning, eroding, and degreasing the external surfaces of work in process. The conventional ultrasonic transducing device for such cleaning comprises a source of high frequency alternating,electrical energy such as that gene ated by a radio frequency generator, and a transducer element such as apiezo-electric crystalwhichis incircuit withsaid source of: energy and' is oscillated thereby. In cleaning a surface, the vibrating transducer element or half wave plate is.made,to oscillate in a container of liquid in which the work-.isimmersed. Surface cleaning is effected by agitationof; the liquid molecules by means of said transducer, which, molecules react against the surface of the work. For many operations in which. it is desirable to clean by ultrasonic means, the immersion of all or a large part of the work in a liquid is often difficult and costly, and

frequently impossible to effect without damage to the work and/or without the expenditure of time and effort for handling the work.

The. current invention primarily relates to an ultra.- sonic device-.whichmay be used for cleaning or otherwise effecting a work piece with ultrasonic energy without the necessity ofv immersing it in a container of liquid. In a preferred form of the invention, an ultrasonic apparatus may be made as a portable ultrasonic tool for effecting.

the localized and selective cleaning of limited areas of work positioned thereopposite.

It is a primary object, of this invention to provide. a

new and improved design for an ultrasonic apparatus. which may be used for effecting defined ultrasonic clean.-

ing functions; on limited areas of a work member.

A other object. is to provide a new and improved ultrasonievibration; device which is portable and easy to manipulate andwhich may easily be positioned by hand or. otherwise; adjacent or against a work piece.

Another object is to provide a new and improved ultrasonic tool which is angularly adjustable and may be utilized for, general surfacecleaning of most objects and for, medical purposes such as the cleaning of teeth.

Another object is to provide an improved ultrasonic apparatus for cleaning odd shaped objects without the need for specialv fittings, or devices for effecting a liquid coupling between thework'and the ultrasonic transducer.

Yet, another object is to provide an improved ultrasonic cleaning device which may effectively clean selected areas of: the' s'urface of -a workpiece without the general delay experienced in immersing the work in a liquid and with a minimum expenditure of said liquid to effect said cleaning. Still. another-object is to provide an improved ultrasonic cIea-ningdevice which may be easily applied to the, surface of a workpiece for cleaning, eroding, or degreasing selected areas. thereof which are difficult to reach-with, conventional ultrasonic tools, which tools mustbe immersed in a liquid along with the work.

1 Another objectisto provide a new and improved ultra 2,980,123 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 "ice The. nature of the. invention, as to its objects and ad-.

vantages, themodeof'its operation and the manner of, its organization, may be better understood by referring. to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

Fig. 1 is apartly sectioned partial side view of the.

head portioniof an ultrasonic tool made in accordance with the current invention, and utilizing a liquid column.

to effect ultrasonic coupling with a work member..

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 taken at the section 2-,2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustratesa modified form of theultrasonic tool in partial cross section showing a tool head which is angularly adjustable on a base or handle.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a basic form of the invention which comprises anassembly it of an inner rigid housing 20 and anouter housing 22 having an annular volume 24 between the two through which a liquid such as water may flow. One end 26 of the inner tubular housing 20 terminates near an end opening of said outer tube 22 so that a liquidsuch as water flowed thru the. annular volume will circulate over the end. of said inner tube. Mounted at the end of the tube Zll is a transducer head 28 adapted to transmit high frequency sound waves to the liquid 29 adjacent the end of 20. The end portion 23 of the outer tubular housing 22 is preferably necked down in the shape illustrated affording, when sufficient pressure is applied to the liquid introduced thereover, a noninterrupted. flow of the liquid about the transducer head 28in the form of a liquid column, A continuous stream 29 ofv liquid may thus be expelled from the orifice 25 at the end of the assembly. Thus if the transducer 28;is caused to vibrate at high frequency, said vibrations will be transmitted thru the stream. The. resulting liquid force may be transmitted to objects on which the liquid column or stream is abutting or impinging.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is particularly useful as a tool applicable where the surface to be cleaned is either. toolarge or difficul't to immersein water or other cleaning liquid. The notation 2'7 refers to a plu rality of supporting legs for holding and prepositioning the inner housing-20 within the outer housing 22. With such a tool the liquidmay be confined to a localized area of the work which need not be' handled and immersed in a special bath or tank. The tool of Fig. 1 is particularly useful for cleaning or eroding parts or assemblies where immersionof the entire assembly in a bath wouldcause damage or rust or would require a long drying period. Thedevice of Figs. 1 and 2 also permits cleaning of a member which is part of an assembly without the need for removing said member from said assembly. Although the liquid of the stream 29 flows over the work and may flow away, the molecules of said liquid impinging on the work may be made to erode, de-scale or degrease the surface of the work sufiiciently to remove or loosen grease, scale and dirt therefrom. The moving stream furthermore immediately carries the removed dirt or grease away from the immediate surface from which it is dislodged so that further erosion may be effected against the next layer of dirt or rust without interference from the prior layer which has been carried away. In Fig. 1 the notation G refers to a high frequency electrical generator shown operatively connected to the trans-. ducer element 28 thru wires 36 extending thru hous-. ing 20.

Fig. 3 shows a device which is a modified form of the ultrasonic cleaning device of Figs. 1 and 2. The device of Fig. 3 has a housing containing an ultrasonic transducer head assembly which housing is mounted relative to a base in a manner whereby it may be adjusted in attitude or angular position in relation to said base which may be a handle or mount for the tool. The ultrasonic device 32 may be used for the cleaning of human teeth or other surfaces, and the pivotal adjustment of the head is particularly useful in facilitating the reaching of the various and irregular surfaces to be cleaned.

The device 32 of Fig. 3 comprises a head assembly 34 including a rigid shell or housing 36 having two separate chambers therein, including a first chamber 38 in which an assembly 40 for mounting a focusing type of radiator or transducer head 42 is secured and a second chamber 44 for flowing a liquid admitted thereto thru a flexible hose 46 into the volume 44' immediately in front of the transducer plate 42. The liquid may be used to create a static coupling between the transducer head 42 and the work W, or to create a coupling therebetween by the continuous flow of said liquid out opening 37 in 36 and its flow against said work as illustrated.

The housing 36 is formed with a pair of bracket portions 48 in a fork-like arrangement which serves as a bearing support means for a pin 49 which extends from and is supported by the end of the handle or base 50. The pin 49 is preferably secured to the forked portion 48 of 36. The head 34 is thus frictionally adjustable on the pin to a plurality of attitudes relative to 50 so that it will maintain its adjusted position.

In the operation of tool 32, liquid is ducted to the chamber 44 thru flexible hose 46 which is held against the base 50 of the tool by a clamp 37. The section 46' of the hose between the bracket 47 and the inlet fitting 47' is preferably made of rubber and is shaped with a series of flexible accordion-like ribs or rings permitting the hose to be stretched and collapsed longitudinally as the head 34 is pivoted. It is noted that a liquid coupling with chamber 44 may also be effected thru the shaft or pin 49.

The vibratable transducer plate 42 is illustrated as a focusing or converging transducer in the form of a spherical transducer, although it may have any suitable shape designed to converge the energy transmitted to the liquid column. A focusing transducer provides maximum concentration of energy in area a short distance in front of the opening 37 in the head 36. The transducer plate 42 is secured in place by a mount including a cup shaped housing 43 held by a threaded ring 43' and a spring 438 reacting against the rear face of housing 43 and adapted to engage back electrode 42' which is forced thereby against the rear face of the transducer 42. The edges of the transducer 42 are held by a mounting ring 45 secured to the inside wall of the housing. The RF cable 30 is electrically connected to 42 and extends thru a rubber grommet 43" held by the base of the cup 43. The cable 30 then passes thru a hole in a plug 54 which is removable and which serves as an access means to volume 38.

The notation 56 refers to a retaining ring formation against which coil spring 438 seats so that the back electrode 42 will not be grounded. The notation 52 refers to a rubber grommet supporting the RF cable 30 as it passes thru the plug 54. Plug 54 is threaded so that simple access is attained to the internal chamber 38. The notation 56 refers to a stand-off fixture and guide secured to the Wall of housing 36 for supporting and holding the cable which is flexibly provided to permit rotation of the assembly 34. The end 36 of head 36 may also have a deformable annular washer or O-ring secured thereto for sealing across the opening and preventing liquid leakage if a static coupling is desired with the surface of the work. It is noted that liquid flow from base 50 to chamber 38 as well as electrical conduction therebetweeen may also be effected across the joint thru a hollow modified pivot pin, providing a more compact unit without external piping or wires.

Numerous other modifications of the present invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and accordingly the appended claims should be construed broadly as is consistent with the appended claims and, in certain instance, some features of the invention will be used without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. An ultrasonic apparatus comprising a housing with an aperture applicable substantially directly proximate to a work-piece positioned generally adjacent the aperture, an ultrasonic vibration means supported within the housing and disposed in spaced relation away from the aperture for concavely focusing all the energy generated thereby to pass through the aperture, the center portion of the concavely focused energy generated by said ultrasonic vibration means being directed substantially perpendicular to the surface of said work-piece, means for coupling energy to the ultrasonic vibration means, a duct communicating with the interior of the housing, and means establishing a liquid column in contact with the ultrasonic vibration means and the duct, said liquid column extending from the vibration means through the housing to the work-piece positioned generally adjacent the aperture. 1

2. The ultrasonic apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the ultrasonic vibration means defines a portion of the wall of the housing,

3. Ultrasonic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, said housing being pivotally mounted on a base support I therefor and being adjustable to a plurality of attitudes relative to said base support whereby the direction of the energy generated by said ultrasonic vibration means maybe adjustably varied without changing the attitude of said base support.

4. An ultrasonic apparatus comprising in combina tion, a housing with an aperture applicable substantially directly proximate to a workpiece positioned generally adjacent the aperture, an ultrasonic vibration means'terminating and forming a part of the end-wall of a second housing which is supported within said apertured housing and has a shape providing substantially an annular volume between its outer surface and the inner surface of the apertured housing, said ultrasonic vibration means being in spaced relation away from the aperture and being adapted to concavely focus all the energy'generan aperture applicable substantially directly proximate to a work-piece positioned generally adjacent the aperture, said housing being part of a portable tool, an ultrasonic vibration means supported within the housing and disposed in spaced relation away from the aperture for concavely focusing all the energy generated thereby to pass thru the aperture, the center portion of the concavely focused energy being directed substantially perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece, means for coupling energy to the ultrasonic vibration means, a flexible fluid duct communicating with the interior of said housing permitting the tool to be easily positioned with the aperture abutting the work-piece at a variety of different attitudes, and means establishing a liquid column-in contact with the ultrasonic vibration means and the duct, said liquid column extending from the vibration means thru the housing to the work-piece positioned generally adjacent the aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Peterson Oct. 11, 1949 Pendleton Oct. 7, 1952 Bagno Aug. 4, 1953 Miller June 28, 1955 Massa Mar. 13, 1956 Lange Nov. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France Nov. 22, 1950 

